With Love
by AHeartForStories
Summary: Post-Httyd 1 and post-RoB/DoB. Hiccup has seen dragons touch foreheads with each other before, but didn't quite know what it meant. One day Toothless does it to him and he finds out.


_Written as a 2k followers gift for Tumblr, inspired by Hiccup and Toothless touching foreheads in Httyd 2 and RttE._

_Constructive criticism is appreciated._

_Enjoy!_

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**With Love**

Entire lungfuls of laughter erupted from Hiccup's throat as he fell on his back, holding his stomach. Toothless followed his example as he set near him and let out a guttural sound from deep within his throat.

Hiccup's laugh was something special. It wasn't like other humans on Berk, who bellowed out their joy with every breath they took. It wasn't like dragons' either. Hiccup's were pure and they were rare. To hear him lose it like this has been lifting the Night Fury's heart ever since they first met almost a year ago now.

Toothless wasn't even sure why they were having such fun anymore.

They had crashed, which usually wasn't such a laughing matter, and they were in the cove because of it. Toothless was sure the other Dragon Riders were somehow involved. And... an eel?

It had all gone by so fast, though he was certain the twins were especially guilty in this case.

Toothless watched Hiccup as he completely lost it, probably more than he should.

"Ah, I can't breathe!" He spoke, struggling to regain his breath. Toothless' head cocked to the side as he gave him a noise.

Hiccup wiped at his eyes as he slowly collected himself and stared up to the sky through the treetops, there were tears in them. Toothless waited for him to do so.

Ever since the war ended, there were many days like these. Days that were just filled with laughter with both reason and no reason at all.

It was all because of Hiccup, the Viking boy now kneeling in front of him trying not to lose it again and the dragon wasn't even sure anymore if even he remembered why himself.

Toothless knew joyous days like these existed because of him.

Before, back when the Red Death had him and many other dragons under her control, his days were dark and filled with fear. And then Hiccup came along and showed him they could be happy, too.

Sometimes, during quieter moments, the Night Fury wondered if Hiccup even knew how much he meant to him. He knew he meant a lot to Hiccup, his Rider showed him often enough.

"Toothless? Bud?" Hiccup spoke his name, smiling brightly, when he noticed his best bud's staring.

It was as he stared at his human and felt his heart swell with love that Toothless decided on the spot to return the favor.

"Agh, Bud!" Hiccup yelped when Toothless decided, for seemingly no particular reason at all, to headbutt him. Their heads smashed together and nearly flattened Hiccup again. Maybe it was a bit harder than the dragon intended.

Toothless crooned, lowering his head as he tried to inspect where Hiccup held his forehead.

"What was that for?!" His giddiness was still there, so Hiccup's smile told Toothless. He was just fine. And though he didn't understand yet why the dragon decided to butt heads together, he didn't mind.

Warbling something as Hiccup was clearly okay, the Night Fury then swatted his hands away from his face and pressed his forehead against Hiccup's again, considerably more careful this time to prevent a repeat from a moment or two ago. Their noses were touching as well.

"Bud?" Hiccup called for him, smile fading as confusion took hold. His claws were still holding onto his hands, he didn't want Hiccup to draw away from him yet.

Briefly pulling back, Toothless purred something before repeating the action and this time he stayed there, eyes closed.

Hiccup quickly figured his dragon was trying to tell him something and it was up to him to figure out what.

He has seen dragons do this to each other before. They would give each other headbutts like these. Sometimes they were brief playful touches and on other, more rarer, occasions, they would be long and they would look almost intimate.

They would look almost exactly like this, except more two-sided.

Hiccup stared at his Night Fury, who patiently waited for him. The next time he pulled away again, Toothless warbled happily and let go of his hands. He chirped, barely able to sit still.

That's when Hiccup figured it out. He didn't quite know what it was that tipped him off, he just sort of knew. Somehow.

It was love. It was a way for the dragons to show that they loved each other and just now Toothless had done it to him. Hiccup was stunned.

He wasn't sure where it came from, what prompted Toothless to do this so suddenly, but he wasn't complaining. He was touched and he felt honored.

He'd seen it happen amongst mates, amongst family, amongst friends. What they all had in common was that Hiccup knew how close each and every one of them were, how special one was to the other.

In a way, it was almost like a kiss. Humans did it on the lips, on the cheeks, or on the forehead. And again, with lovers, with family, and with friends. Dragons usually licked whoever or whatever they liked, but this was something deeper than that.

Toothless hadn't given him that "Forehead Kiss" lightly and Hiccup needed to take a deep, deep breath in order to contain all of the emotions swirling inside of him. There was gratitude in there as well and a love as equal as the one Toothless apparently felt for him, too.

Unbeknownst to Hiccup, it first sparked when the day he'd shown a lonely Night Fury what "drawing" was and it has been growing ever since.

So Hiccup thought he should return it, he wanted to return it. Without another word spoken, he gently grabbed his best bud's face and pulled him closer to press their foreheads and noses together again. Their eyes closed together.

"I love you too, Bud." Hiccup spoke and Toothless purred contentedly in return.


End file.
